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Holy Week Message (2011)  

Fr. NS Varghese, Vicar,

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church,

Chembur, Mumbai

We have entered into the Great Lent/ soon we will be celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord. This is a period of fasting and prayer where we renew our covenant with God and reevaluate our Christian living. Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church had one strong emphasis; one strong command- “Repent, for the Kingdome of Heaven is near” (St Mat 4:14, NIV). Yes the eternal realm is to be accessed; it is not seen or expressed, it is experienced by those who access into it, “Kingdom of God is to be taken by force”. This is the primary reality which is unseen yet eternal. Unfortunately human trend is to go after secondary reality which is temporal and which does not last (2Cor 4:18) Repentance- the change of mentality is the only solution:

The Church invites every one for repentance through confession. A true confession should have all the attributes of repentance as explained below. The church fathers were very mindful of the necessity repentance /confession. St Anthony said, “Ask for repentance during every moment. “St Basil, the great Cappodocian father said, “It is good that you do not sin. If you do sin, then it is good that you do not delay repentance. If you repent, then it is good that you do not return to sin. If you do not return, then it is good that you know this is with God’s help. If you do not return, then it is good that you know this is with God’s help. If you know, then it is good that you thank Him for the state that you are in.”

Jesus call was not addressed the nation as a whole like that of in Old Testament, but it was personal to each individual. Repentance is a golden key to the heaven; discipleship is the task of preparing people; how to use the key to open the door. When Peter confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus promised him ‘Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven”. (St. Matt. 16:19).

The first man in the Holy Bible to call people for repentance was Noah. Because of his righteous life he and his family were secured from the destruction by flood. Later on, many prophets stood firm for God calling people for turning away from their sins. A long line of such men of God may be presented here, as Isaiah (Is1), Ezekiel (Ezek 18), Jonah (Jon 3),  Joel (Joel 2) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah. 31).

Salvation was unconditionally given to many known sinners who repented, according to New Testament.

  1.  An adulterous woman who was brought to Christ for judgment and punishment was released due to her repentance.
  2. The publican who admitted that he was a sinner while praying at the temple was accepted, where a Pharisee boasting of hid self-righteousness was denied by the Omniscient God (St. Luke. 18).
  3. The repented prodigal son who was welcomed back to his home with a great celebration (St. Luke. 15).
  4. Peter who shed tears for betraying Jesus was redeemed (St. Luke. 23).
  5. The thief on the right side of the crucified Christ prayed and confessed at the last moment of his life was immediately allowed to be in Paradise with Christ (St. Luke. 23).
  6. There are many more examples to cite. We wonder how powerful and beneficial the repentance and tears are!

What is Repentance?

  1. The Greek word for repentance is ‘Mentanoia’ which means after-thought, perception afterwards and change of mind. Spiritually, it means a conversion of life, a change from wrong to right, a change in outlook, a change from sin to sainthood. As sin is a departure from God (as Adam ran away from God), the repentance is an arrival to him. When the prodigal son’s sin of disobedience distanced him from his father, his repentance bought him closer to mend the broken relationship with the father, his repentance brought him closer to mend the broken relationship with the father (St. Luke. 15: 18-20). He got a changed and better vision of life. In St. John’s Gospel and first epistle the repentance is stressed as the “new birth” meaning turning away from the sin to God by the exercise of faith and baptism (Jn 3:3, 1Jn 1:9).
  2. Repentance is reconciliation with God. When sin disputes with God, repentance makes peace with Him. God says, “return to me, and I will return to you: (Malachi 3:7). The prodigal son, who reconciled with his father, said, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you” (St. Luke. 15:21).
  3. Repentance means spiritual awakening. A sinful person is unaware of his state of spiritual life. The Bible says to the sinful, “that now it is high time to awake out of sleep” (Rom. 13:11). Looking at this context, repentance is spiritual awareness and return of the person himself, the return of one’s self to its original sensitivity, the heart to its fervor and the conscience t its work. It is rightly said about the prodigal son that he “came to himself” (St. Luke 15:17), meaning his return to a state of alertness, to his correct thinking and spiritual understanding and respect towards the values of his family he once scornfully discarded.

Privileges of Repentance

  1. Repentance makes you eligible for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. If sins are regarded as spiritual death (Rom 6:23, Wages of sin is death), forgiveness is the transfer from death to life. St James 5:20 says, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
  2. Repentance resulting from the divine act inside a person caused to form a new heart in him/her to obey God Almighty. God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…… and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezek 36 25-27). Prayer and submission are required for the divine intervention.
  3. The true repentance gives the power to forsake sins without returning to them. It leads us to a life of purity and closeness to the Lord who is holy and glorious. “The sacrifices of God are broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:17).
  4. The heaven rejoices over those who repent (St. Luke 15:7), and great way of jou is flooded in their homes, as evident in the repented prodigal son’s family (St. Luke. 15:22-27). Sin kills real joy of personal and family life while repentance brings it alive. REPENTANCE is the GOLDEN KEY that opens the door of Heaven, of Mercy, of Love, of Grace and the of communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For Fr. NS Varghese,

Jacob K Philip